Circtec Opens Large-Scale ELT Pyrolysis Plant

Pyrolysis technology developer Circtec has completed construction of Phase 1 of its end-of-life tire (ELT) pyrolysis recycling facility at Delfzijl, the Netherlands.

The plant was formally opened January 27, 2026 by King Willem-Alexander in a ceremony in which the King launched operations by feeding processed end-of-life-tire (ELT) rubber into the recycling process himself.

At the heart of the operation, Circtec’s proprietary CIFR (Circulating Internal Fluidized Reactor) pyrolysis reactor, converts rubber chips and granulate into high value new products.

In its pyrolysis and upgrading processes, Circtec produces HUPA, its proprietary sustainable marine fuel, circular naphtha for responsibly sourced plastics, polymers and chemicals and high-quality recovered carbon black for reuse in tires, rubber and plastics manufacturing. The plant can also supply tire pyrolysis oil (TPO) as sustainable feedstock to petrochemical plants and refineries.

 Circtec plans to begin Phase 2 construction later this year, which will expand plant capacity in a modular fashion up to a total capacity of 200,000 tons of ELTs per year.

Circtec’s Delfzijl plant, the culmination of a 15-year technology and product development process, will account for about 6 percent of European end-of-life tires annually.

An ISO-standard Life Cycle Assessment shows that at full scale, the Circtec plant is expected to reduce GHG emissions by an amount equivalent to approximately 3 percent of the national emissions of the Netherlands’ chemical industry sector.

Previously announced long-term offtake partnerships have secured the entire output of the Delfzijl plant products.

Birla Carbon, contracted the output of recovered carbon black (rCB) for their Continua flagship decarbonization product line.
BP (British Petroleum) contracted the output of the HUPA marine fuel, circular naphtha and tire pyrolysis oil.

During the royal visit, the King spoke with Circtec employees to better understand operations at the plant, and had discussions with representatives of bp,(British Petroleum), Birla Carbon and RecyBEM about their roles in the commercial partnerships supporting the plant.

He also discussed the regional benefits of the Circtec plant with officials representing Groningen Seaports, the local municipality and the province.

© Scrap Tire News, February 2026